New Every Morning!
- Rita Larson
- Apr 2, 2023
- 3 min read
Yesterday, as I was diving into the scripture and focusing on forgiveness, I found myself dwelling on Ephesians 4:26-27 "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil." This got me really thinking about God’s mercy and how graciously it is given to us. As a born again Christian, we wake up every morning, with a fresh start and clean slate. He has given us His mercy freely, without out having to earn it. It was already bought and paid for on the cross.
God's mercy is a precious gift. Throughout His Word, we are reminded of His great love for us. In Lamentations 3:21-23, we are told, "This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." He is faithful and His mercy is unending. Even when we fail and make mistakes, the Lord's mercy is still available to us. Through grace, we should extend this same mercy to others around us.
Fortunately for us, God's gift of mercy is not a question of human will or effort but depends solely upon His mercy towards us .God’s mercy is not at all dependent on us, but dependent on Him, as we see in Romans 9:16 “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy”. We must remember that God’s mercy is not dependent on our own works or behavior, but on His grace and love for us.
Psalm 86:5: “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.” This verse reminds us that no matter what we have done, God is ready to forgive us and extend His mercy, if we call upon Him. We are called to extend this same mercy to others around us. As Matthew 5:7 says, "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." Just as God’s mercy is unending and ever-present, we are called to extend the same mercy to others. We are called to forgive and to show mercy to those around us, just as God has shown us mercy. In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus tells us, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” We must remember that God’s mercy is unconditional and that we must show the same unconditional mercy to others, no matter what they have done.
As James 2:13 reminds us, “For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.” When we show mercy to others, we not only honor God but also demonstrate His love to them. We can be a source of comfort and strength to those who are struggling. God never stops loving us. His love is never ending, and His mercy is never failing. He is a loving God, who is always ready and willing to forgive us and give us a fresh start each morning. His mercy will never run out, no matter how many times we stumble and fall.
We can always be assured that His mercy is there waiting for us, and when we extend mercy and forgiveness to others, we are extending to them the same mercy that God has shown us. Micah 7:19 tells us “He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” Mercy is an essential precursor to the act of forgiveness. If we have not extended mercy and granted someone the opportunity of a fresh start, have we really forgiven them? Take a moment and cast any wrongdoing out to sea of forgetfulness! Tomorrow is a new day! ©Rita Larson 4/2/2023
Comments